There are multiple ways to heal in Alan Wake Remastered that players should take advantage of while battling the Taken. Recovering health is usually done outside of combat, but there are some other ways that can save Alan's life in a sticky situation.
These healing methods are especially important when playing on Nightmare difficulty, as the Taken are far more challenging with increased shields and health. This makes fights last longer, meaning Alan can get hit more often. This applies to both the original and remastered versions of Alan Wake.
How to Heal in Alan Wake
There are no medkits or the like in Alan Wake, as Alan can only recover health while not in combat, or standing near light. There are a few different sources of light, including:
- Under a Safe Haven (a streetlight, or any light powered by a generator)
- Inside lit buildings
- Lighting a flare
- Standing by a Flare Gun projectile
The most consistent way to heal in Alan Wake is at Safe Havens found at fixed points during each episode. Some must be turned on by activating a nearby generator. As well as recovering health, standing in a Safe Haven ensures no Taken can attack Alan. Once he walks into the darkness though, any Taken not yet killed will respawn. These consistent safe areas throughout the game is part of the reason Alan Wake is the perfect Halloween game for non-horror fans.
Another great way to quickly heal in Alan Wake is to use a flare or Flare Gun if in a really sticky situation. Clicking RB/R1 on consoles will drop a flare at Alan's feet, giving some health back and keeping enemies away until it disappears. Holding down RB/R1 means Alan can walk with the flare, healing and keeping the Taken at bay while working towards a new destination.
Switching to a Flare Gun and shooting at a group of enemies will most likely kill them all, and help Alan recover a little health while near its glow. The graphical effects of this look even better if playing Alan Wake Remastered with good PC specs.
When a heartbeat is heard and the screen changes to a reddish color, this means Alan is low on health, and players should find a light source as soon as possible to ensure he doesn't die. Using a flare while in this state will unlock the 'Back! Back, I Say!' Trophy/Achievement. Alternatively, if there are no more enemies, players can wait for their health to regenerate, but this usually takes more time than finding a light source.
If the rumor that Alan Wake 2 is in development turns out to be true, it will be interesting to see if developer Remedy chooses to keep similar game mechanics or develop new ones.
Alan Wake Remastered is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.